Pediatric emergency medicine fellowship

Looking at the Children's Emergency signSpectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine logo

The Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital/Michigan State University Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship is an ACGME-accredited program. It is a three-year program for pediatrics-trained residents and a two-year program for emergency medicine-trained residents. We accept two fellows into our program annually.

The pediatric emergency medicine fellows train at the state-of-the-art pediatric emergency department at Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital (part of Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals) and at our adult counterpart, Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital (part of Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals). Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is the only free-standing pediatric facility in West Michigan providing tertiary and quaternary pediatric care for the entire region. It has been consistently ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation in the US News and World Report.

From the Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital/Michigan State University Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship. We hope you find this information useful in your decision-making process.

The pediatric emergency medicine fellowship program takes huge pride in the fact that we are a “small happy family.” When you visit us, you will get that sense of family and belonging right away. Our fellows can vouch for the same when you meet them during the interview process. There is also a strong sense of camaraderie between emergency department physicians and our nursing/emergency department staff that will make your three years fly by.

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is a community-based hospital. The pediatric emergency department is a regional Level 1 trauma center with 35 beds and sees nearly 55,000 patients a year. We continue to be the most efficient emergency department in the country despite our slowly rising volumes over the last couple of years. Our affiliation with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine provides a unique, hybrid community and academic practice environment.

During your fellowship training, you can expect exposure to all kinds of pediatric pathology and interact with all different pediatric sub-specialties. We put a strong emphasis on patient quality and safety. Corewell Health in West Michigan has multiple simulation facilities and which is integrated in your training. Corewell Health in West Michigan has developed multiple simulation facilities that our fellows frequently use throughout training. Our diversely trained pediatric emergency medicine faculty is committed to fellows teaching and training. We work closely with our adult emergency medicine colleagues who are always available and willing to enhance our fellows training experience.

I can assure you that on graduation you will feel well trained to work in any pediatric emergency department across the country. I wish you all the very best in your application process. Thank you again for considering us for your fellowship training and please contact us with questions!

Bhawana Arora, MD
Program Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship
Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital/Michigan State University
Assistant Professor, Michigan State University

bhawana.arora@corewellhealth.org

PEM core faculty retreat

Overview

Program aims

  1. Train fellows to become excellent clinicians and educators in pediatric emergency medicine
  2. Provide safe, high quality and cost-effective care to communities we serve
  3. Train fellows to become future leaders in health care

Program highlights

  • High volume adult and pediatric emergency departments in state-of-the-art facilities totaling over 200,000 visits in annually
  • The only pediatric emergency medicine fellowship in the only free-standing pediatric hospital in West Michigan
  • Subspecialty support 24/7, mixed private and hospital-based physician subspecialty groups
  • 11 pediatric emergency medicine faculty members with 24/7 coverage and who are available for fellow education and guidance
  • Structured simulation curriculum for procedures and medical/trauma resuscitations
  • Dedicated ultrasound faculty under the guidance of trained faculty
  • Longitudinal research didactic curriculum for all the pediatric fellowships
  • Spectrum Health Clinical Teacher Program required for all fellows
  • Spectrum Health Quality and Safety curriculum required for all fellows
  • Two weeks business of medicine curriculum offered to all fellows
  • Research support from Spectrum Health, Michigan State University and the emergency medicine department

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, the primary training site for the fellowship, is a 234-bed regional referral center and teaching hospital. Supported by nearly $103 million in generous community support, the hospital moved into the current building in 2011. The 14-floor, 444,000 square feet building dramatically changed the skyline on Michigan Street's "Medical Mile" in Grand Rapids.

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital offers advanced pediatric specialty care with more than 300 pediatric physicians who practice in more than 50 pediatric specialties and programs. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is Michigan’s largest neonatal center and is the only Level 1 pediatric emergency department in West Michigan.

The pediatric emergency department handles more than 50,000 visits per year with nearly 4,000 admissions annually. The department always has social workers, pharmacists, interpreter services, child life specialists and respiratory therapists available. The department has access to 24/7 laboratory and radiology services including ultrasound, CT and MRI. The hospital has a 24-bed PICU, six-bed pediatric CICU and 80-bed NICU for critical pediatric patients. The hospital provides critical care transport for the region through neonatal transport team and flight services called AeroMed.

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in its 2023 Best Children’s Hospital has been included in U.S. News & World Report rankings for over a decade.

Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital (part of Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals) is a Level 1 trauma center with nearly 100,000 emergency department visits annually. It is West Michigan’s premier location to receive burn care, as well as a primary stroke center. It connects directly to Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals Fred & Lena Meijer Heart Center, the area’s leading heart center, which provides 24/7 cardiac catheterization services. The emergency department serves as our base for adult-focused rotations in general adult emergency care, trauma and burn care as well as ultrasound training.

In the news

ACEP Now: “Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department Has Data-Driven Efficiency”

Education

Didactics 

To complement the training received on clinical rotations, fellows are also expected to regularly attend scheduled conferences, journal conferences, and lectures given by faculty and invited speakers.

  • Pediatric emergency medicine weekly lectures
  • Journal club
  • Procedure labs
  • Simulated trauma and medical codes
  • Pediatric grand rounds
  • Fellows research lecture series
  • Regularly scheduled ultrasound workshops and simulations labs
  • Interdisciplinary conferences with PICU, hospitalist fellows and cardiology fellows
  • Annual regional pediatric emergency medicine conference with all pediatric emergency medicine programs across the state of Michigan
PEM fellows in SIM lab and fellow retreat

Curriculum

The program offers a three year track for pediatric graduates and two year for emergency medicine graduates. Each year is divided into 13 blocks each of four weeks duration. View a sample curriculum.

Research

Exposure to and participation in research begins early in the fellowship program so fellows can meet their scholarly activity requirements on time and also develop interest in all aspects of research.

Corewell Health in West Michigan provides many opportunities in clinical, quality and safety-based research. Corewell Health and Michigan State University have a blossoming interest in multi-center collaborative research networks. The emergency department has a committed research team that includes research assistants. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has a dedicated research advisory committee which helps to distribute local grants to pediatric researchers. The Van Andel Institute also aligns itself with Corewell Health in West Michigan and provides support for medical research. With support from Michigan State University, Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital (part of Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals), Van Andel Institute and Emergency Care Specialists (our physician group), fellows can expect to have ample resources for mentorship and support.

The links below provide more information on research opportunities:

Application requirements

We participate in the National Resident Matching Program and use the Electronic Residency Application Service application process. We require the following information:

  • A completed application/profile
  • At least three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Medical school transcript and dean’s letter
  • Personal statement describing career goals and reasons for selecting continued training in pediatric emergency medicine
  • USMLE transcript
  • For international medical graduates, an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates status report

For more information on our program, please contact Saron Mogos, program coordinator.

Salary and benefits

Corewell Health in West Michigan provides a comprehensive and very competitive benefits package for our residents, staff and their families. In addition, our program provides educational monies to support your ongoing education. Download our salary and benefits document to learn more.

Program Director

Bhawana Arora, MD
Bhawana Arora, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine 

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
Bhawana Arora, MD
Bhawana Arora, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine 

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center

Associate Program Director

Christopher Benner, MD
Christopher Benner, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: University of Michigan - Mott Children's Hospital 
  • Residency: University of Michigan - Mott Children's Hospital 
Christopher Benner, MD
Christopher Benner, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: University of Michigan - Mott Children's Hospital 
  • Residency: University of Michigan - Mott Children's Hospital 

Core Faculty

Bethany Beard, MD
Bethany Beard, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Residency/fellowship: Indiana University School of Medicine
Thomas Czolgosz, MD
Thomas Czolgosz, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
Jon Felt, MD
Jon Felt, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University
Stephen Gunnink, DO
Stephen Gunnink, DO

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University
  • Residency: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University
Bethany Beard, MD
Bethany Beard, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Residency/fellowship: Indiana University School of Medicine
Thomas Czolgosz, MD
Thomas Czolgosz, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
Jon Felt, MD
Jon Felt, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University
Stephen Gunnink, DO
Stephen Gunnink, DO

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University
  • Residency: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University
Jennifer Hemberg, MD
Jennifer Hemberg, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: University of Utah
  • Residency: University of Michigan Hospital and Health System
Jackson Lanphear, MD
Jackson Lanphear, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University
Erica Michiels, MD
Erica Michiels, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Seattle Children's Hospital
  • Residency: Seattle Children's Hospital
Adam Nicholson, MD
Adam Nicholson, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: McGaw Medical Center - Northwestern University
  • Residency: McGaw Medical Center - Northwestern University
Adam Singer, DO
Adam Singer, DO

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
  • Residency: Children’s Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center
Angela Zamarripa, MD
Angela Zamarripa, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine/Emergency Medicine

  • Fellowship: University of Michigan - Mott Children's Hospital
  • Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Class of 2026

Jeff Haus, DO
Jeff Haus, DO

Pediatrics: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University

  • Pediatric Track
Henry Higby, MD
Henry Higby, MD

Emergency Medicine: Western Michigan University

  • Emergency Medicine Track
Jeff Haus, DO
Jeff Haus, DO

Pediatrics: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University

  • Pediatric Track
Henry Higby, MD
Henry Higby, MD

Emergency Medicine: Western Michigan University

  • Emergency Medicine Track

Class of 2025

Alysa Butz, MD
Alysa Butz, MD

Emergency Medicine: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University

  • Emergency Medicine Track
Tonia Jerrick, MD
Tonia Jerrick, MD

Pediatrics: Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital

  • Pediatric Track
Alysa Butz, MD
Alysa Butz, MD

Emergency Medicine: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University

  • Emergency Medicine Track
Tonia Jerrick, MD
Tonia Jerrick, MD

Pediatrics: Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital

  • Pediatric Track

Class of 2024

M. Kristina Kern, MD
M. Kristina Kern, MD

Pediatrics: Georgetown University Hospital

  • Pediatric Track
M. Kristina Kern, MD
M. Kristina Kern, MD

Pediatrics: Georgetown University Hospital

  • Pediatric Track

Ready to Apply?

Review the “Application Requirements” tab on the program page to learn more about the application process.